How to Recognize Surrealism
In the mid 1920s, a group of artists in Paris developed surrealism. Comprised of mostly writers and visual artists, the surrealist movement challenged the rationalism and middle-class tastes of art at that time. They believed art should be created spontaneously through automatic writing, free association and tapping into dreams and the unconscious. Though the movement is no longer active as it once was, the influence can be seen in today's art.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
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1
Expect surrealist images to be incomprehensible on the surface. The artists want you to study the work closely and piece it together like a puzzle. While it may seem random, there's actually method and meaning in these works.
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Look for recognizable objects. Unlike abstract painting, surrealism doesn't break down images completely or render geometric shapes exclusively. There's still a connection to everyday objects, places and people.
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3
Study the distortions in the painting. Many techniques used distortion but surrealism's goal was to tap into the unconscious. Think of how dreams are fragmented, moving from image to image and scene to scene.
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4
Consider what psychological meaning the picture has. Surrealists were heavily influenced by Freud's theories of the unconscious. They strove to bring hidden ideas about humanity to the surface.
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5
Decide what the nature of the fragmentation is in a work. Surrealism often used a "cutting up" technique where an artist would take a series of photographs, drawings or texts (in the case of writers), cut them into pieces and put them back together in a new way.
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Identify the collage effect used in the painting. Some artists use collage to highlight an idea or emphasize a conflict, but surrealists wanted to copy the way the mind works and reach a deeper psychological truth about human nature.
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7
Touch a work of art whenever you can. Surrealism played with textures. Artists mixed objects, materials and instruments to see what "accidental" images this would produce.
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Tips & Warnings
Surrealism is also present in other art forms such as literature, film and music.
You can practice surrealist techniques yourself with automatic writing or drawing, collage, "cutting up" and collaborating with other artists.
